Canal Current. Environmental News. Native Plant profile

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1 Canal Current A wave of information for Cape Coral s Canalwatch volunteers Newsletter: 1 st Quarter 2013 Environmental News Earth Day 2013 Earth Day is on Monday April 22 nd. Please consider these events to help show your support for our planet. Remember though everyday should be Earth Day! Cape Coral Parks and Recreation will hold its annual Spring Native Plant Sale on Saturday April 20 th from 9 am to 2 pm at Rotary Park Environmental Center. For more information please call, (239) Lee County Parks and Recreation will offer a guided tour of Caloosahatchee Regional Park as part of their Earth Day Walk on April 20 th from 9 am to 11 am. For more information, please contact Kelly Flaherty at (239) Florida State Parks is holding its 12 th Annual Earth Day Festival at Koreshan State Historic Site in Estero on April 20 th. Events start at 9:00 am and include live music, local artists displaying their work, and great food! For more information please contact (239) Native Plant profile Yellow Pond Lily Nuphar advena Sometimes referred to as spatterdock, the yellow pond lily is native to the eastern United States and parts of eastern Canada. The yellow pond lily is found in many freshwater habitats throughout the state of Florida and is a common water plant in Cape Coral s freshwater canals. The stem of this water lily can reach several feet, with the leaves appearing heart shaped or terminating in a small bud like yellow flower. The seed pod can provide food for aquatic birds and the leaves can provide pads for frogs or small turtles and provide cover for fish. Propagation can occur through seeds or rhizome division and can be added to a koi pond or water garden by securing them with a rock or brick until they become established. Flowers will bloom in spring through until late summer. Inside This Issue: Native Plants 1 Canal Clean-Up / Trash Bash 2 Extra Field Data 3 Lab Data 4-5 Upcoming Events 6 Questions? Comments? Let us know! (239) Harry: hphillips@capecoral.net Katie: kmcbride@capecoral.net Yellow pond lily blooming Photo courtesy of Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants 1

2 Florida Manatees Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) are a subspecies of the West Indian manatee and are found in Florida s coastal and fresh waters. They are massive (up to 3,500 lbs), long living herbivores which feed on aquatic vegetation. Like all mammals, manatees have hair, give birth to live young, and breathe air. Manatees breathe through their nose; special flaps which cover their nostrils close when diving. When using a great deal of energy, they may surface to breathe every 30 seconds; but they can submerge up to 20 minutes when resting. Manatees have a low reproductive rate. They begin to reproduce between the ages of 3 and 5, with 1 calf born every 2-5 years. Mothers nurse their calves for over a year. The biggest threats to the manatee population are loss of warm-water refuges, collisions with watercraft, and ingestion of fishhooks and monofilament line. Cold weather and red tides such as the recent one here in Lee County can also kill and debilitate manatees in very large numbers. Low genetic diversity is also now a concern. Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as well as the Endangered Species Act. The MMPA prohibits the take (meaning harassment, hunting, capture, or killing, or the attempted harassment, hunting, capture, or killing) of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas. It also prohibits the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the U.S. The Endangered Species Act provides programs for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and their habitats. To help protect Florida manatees you can: Support habitat conservation and restoration programs such as Save the Manatee at Help with local coastal cleanups Be a cautious boater - slow down in marked manatee zones Pick up any derelict fishing line you may see and don t leave fishing gear lying around, so that manatees and other aquatic species don t become entangled or swallow foreign objects. Sensitive to low temperatures, manatees seek warmer water during the colder winter months. They can be seen locally at Sirenia Vista Park, Manatee Park, and even some of the canals in Cape Coral. Please remember that feeding or touching manatees is considered harassment and is prohibited by law. If you see an injured manatee or someone harassing one, please call FWCC to report it. 2

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6 April 3 rd Canalwatch 6 th Nature of the Cape Bus Tour 8am noon 9 th Friends of Wildlife Meeting at Rotary Park 7-9pm. info: th Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Yard Design Class 1pm-4pm 20 th Native Plant Sale from 9am-2pm at Rotary Park 22 nd Earth Day! May 1 st Canalwatch 4 th Nature of the Cape Bus Tour 8am noon 11 th Gardening for Butterflies 10:30am 12:30pm Rotary Park 27 th Memorial Day June 5 th Canalwatch 15 th Kids All American Fishing Derby 8am 11am Yacht Club Pier Registration/info: City of Cape Coral Environmental Resources P.O. BOX Cape Coral, FL